Show me a religious organization without a sordid past

[_Billy Law]

Simon,

You are correct. Every religion has issues and black spots in their history. I have a potential answer to the problem...

What if God didn't care which religion you belonged to or if you belonged to a religion at all? I believe God is bigger than any 1 religion and that religion is here to serve people in bringing them closer to God. Once they stop fulfilling that purpose for people- then people should find another way to enhance their relationship with God. Loving God with all your might, mind and strength is the goal.

I go to a non-denominational church and love going every Sunday. I love singing to God and thanking Him for life and peace and challenges. I am "self-employed" spiritually- without religious dogma. I don't have to agree with the Pastor on his opinions on doctrinal issues or anyone else for that matter.

I believe God cares far more about the state of our heart than the religion we belong to. And He would prefer that we trust in him more than men who claim to be His only true servants.

[_Simon Belmont]

Simon

In concerns with the racism , the difference is that Mormonism has standard works that teaches racism,

You're wrong. We've been over this time and again.

I have no problem saying that past protestant teachers who taught racism were racists, and false teachers, and they were wrong and their doctrines were NOT of God period. Can you say the same about racism in the LDS church...will you denounce the Book of Mormon for teaching racism in that it teaches God turned folks Black as a sign of a curse?

There is no racism in the Book of Mormon.

[_Simon Belmont]

Simon,

You are correct. Every religion has issues and black spots in their history. I have a potential answer to the problem...

What if God didn't care which religion you belonged to or if you belonged to a religion at all? I believe God is bigger than any 1 religion and that religion is here to serve people in bringing them closer to God. Once they stop fulfilling that purpose for people- then people should find another way to enhance their relationship with God. Loving God with all your might, mind and strength is the goal.

I go to a non-denominational church and love going every Sunday. I love singing to God and thanking Him for life and peace and challenges. I am "self-employed" spiritually- without religious dogma. I don't have to agree with the Pastor on his opinions on doctrinal issues or anyone else for that matter.

I believe God cares far more about the state of our heart than the religion we belong to. And He would prefer that we trust in him more than men who claim to be His only true servants.

If you have found something that works for you and makes you happy, then I say go for it. I never understood the "non-denominational" thing, though. Isn't that in itself a denomination?

[_Quasimodo]

Or, we can simply espouse honestism on an individual basis, without the need for any religion or other structured organization.

Then how will we collect tithes and offerings?

Please send them to me. I'll make sure they find their way to the Medical Illustrator's support fund.

[_Quasimodo]

There is no racism in the Book of Mormon.

A glaring example in LDS history, though.

[_just me]

There is no racism in the Book of Mormon.

2 Nephi 5:21 And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.

[_Analytics]

Many have pointed to historical black-spots in the LDS Church as evidence that it isn't what it claims to be. While I do not condone certain thoughts or actions that happened in church history, I also understand that there are very few religious organizations have don't a sordid past....

I hope that some day, historians will look back at what most of us believe today and consider it a sordid past:

• They used to believe that war was a valid way of solving problems!
  
• They used to believe that free market economics granted a license to be greedy and pay your workers unfairly!
  
• They used to believe short-term economic gains was a valid reason to harm the environment!
  
• They used to shop at Wal-Mart!

I can only hope. But when comparing the sordid pasts of various groups, you will note that some groups figured out the truth long before others. While nobody has a perfect past, in general Unitarians and Quakers were early adaptors of our common modern morality while Mormonism, Catholicism, Islam, etc. were late adaptors. That says something about how successful their various approaches are to gaining further light and knowledge.

[_Billy Law]

@ Simon

I have been to a few different Non-Denoms and they are all a little different depending on the Pastors' bent. Some can be more dogmatic than others about what defines a Christian and what doesn't.

It does work for me. My exit from the LDS religion enhanced my faith in God. I never used to love God like I do now. The yoke is easy even when life is hard and I feel at peace psychologically and spiritually. A far different state of mind than what I feel religions promote. They have good intentions I believe but preach a very confining gospel similar to the Pharisees in Jesus' time. It's a heavy yoke if you really try to do what their doctrine demands...

[_badseed]

The test of Joseph Smith's mission is found in what he actually taught rather than how he actually lived. It's whether or not the Book of Mormon is true rather than what he might have done with Fanny Alger ...

Right. And the fact that he thought and taught that God told him to marry Fanny and already married women is the reason Joseph's polygamy and polyandry make these "black spots" problematic.

God, I suppose, could choose Charles Manson as a prophet. His personal actions would be of little consequence if God chose to forgive them. But if Charlie told the Family to kill everyone at 10050 Cielo Drive when in fact God did not tell him to, then he is a false/unreliable prophet— and that is a deal breaker.

[_cafe crema]

I for one welcome our new computer overlords.

Well hello there Ken!